Frustration and Stupidity

[bhld]

I just received a 2015 file from a business associate. I tried to open it with 2014. Guess what..."this is an unrecognized file..." blah blah. Now I understand piracy concerns, and all that, BUT...making the software so different as to not let it see a file created on a version that's ONE YEAR REMOVED is a little paranoid, short sighted and stupid.

Rant over

Bob Hunter

Atlanta, Ga.

[PVA - Admin]

The Vectorworks 2015 user can just export the file back to 2014, no need to pay for an upgrade.

It should be under File > Export > Export As Vectorworks 20XX...

The format has to change from year to year so that new features and object types can be supported by the format, forwards compatibility isn't a problem, Vectorworks 2015 can even read back to MiniCAD 8, but when going from a newer version, you have to export so that your file can be made compatible with the more limited feature sets of the previous version you're trying to send it to.

[zoomer]

Does that mean that VW does not save the data in the file, like f.e. DGN or DWG,

but just tool instructions, like f.e. 3DSMax ?

[PVA - Admin]

Not really, it has both from what I understand, however I am not an expert on it. Some objects are regenerated from instructions and some are just stored as-is, but I do not know the specifics.

For instance, any of the referencing features we add, a change needs to be made to our file format in order to support things like that.

Or, if we add a completely new object like Surface Array, if you were able to just open a file made by Vectorworks 2015 (which has Surface Array) in Vectorworks 2008 (which does not have Surface Array) the older version would have no idea what to make of it and probably best case, just give you a generic broken object. Worst case, it would crash and you wouldn't be able to open the file at all.

Exporting the file back and telling the export which version of Vectorworks you are going to be sending the file into, let the more modern version pick and choose what objects can go and what objects need to be converted into other entities before they do, or if those objects just flat out cant be transferred over to an older version.

Without that intermediate export step, theres no way of knowing what would happen on the other end.

[zoomer]

OK, thanks Jim.

I think I got it.

[zoomer]

BTW

That means, if 1200 years later someone finds a clay jug with a VW file it can't be translated anymore ?

[PVA - Admin]

Sadly no. Our doodles will probably not last as long as the Mayan's.

[SamIWas]

There's quite a bit of software which acts this way.

I constantly have to save to certain versions of AutoCAD for various people using various incarnations of that.

I believe my Cinema 4D works the same way, not letting the file be opened in earlier versions.

Don't think it's anything to do with piracy.

[barkest]

Along the same lines VW2015 cannot open Sketchup 2015 so you have to save Sketchup as 2014.

Edited March 2, 2015 by barkest

[zoomer]

Yes, when mayor changes happened.

F.e. ACAD 2007, 2008, 2009 seems to be the same format.

Similar to Cinema4D.

Or Microstation updated their format one time the last 18 years because

of the internal workspace change.

Modo lets you open the files, just a little warning you could lose some

of the new things that weren't there before. Not concerning geometry

of course.

So there are many possibilities to save your data.

[Kevin McAllister]

Frankly, as I've wish listed before, an online version translator would solve all of these issues.....

KM

[PVA - Admin]

Frankly, as I've wish listed before, an online version translator would solve all of these issues.....

KM

Adding this thread to that request.

[Kevin McAllister]

Thanks Jim!

KM